Kenobi
by faultlier
Summary: It's been eight years since Order 66. Obi-Wan Kenobi hid himself away on Tattooine to keep a protective eye on Luke while remaining hidden from the Empire under the name Ben. With a bounty hunter on the loose with a vendetta against the remaining Jedi in hiding, a message falls into his hands forcing him out of hiding.
1. Chapter 1 (04-27 07:47:35)

Tattooine always held a dry heat that sapped the moisture right from the lips as soon as one's boot stepped out onto the sand. Reprieve was only granted in the small cantinas for those able to pay. Money was the driving force in the Galaxy after all, even as far as the Outer Rim. Those without it are slaves, and those with it in any amount could find a seat at the Chalmun's Cantina.

It was a slow day for the establishment as all manner of miscreants chose to take their patronage quietly in their own little booths. Even the few around the bar barely spared a glance to each other as they took their time in procrastination to lengthen the span before they would have to once again grace the dry heat and continue about their day.

Occupying a booth in the far corner was a woman practically lounging across the bench as she watched the band play a smooth tune. She was dressed simply in earthy tones, a faded grey shirt loose on her frame and partially tucked into her weathered and worn pants. Her gaze occasionally broke from the entertainment to glance over to the entrance when someone would come or go, though more with a casual air as she waited. She rose from her seat and sauntered over to the bar, ordering another drink before her current completely diminished.

The mellow days were rare in this place, and she looked content to enjoy it while it lasted as she gave a generous tip. With an exchange of nods between her and the bartender, she turned just in time to see the silhouette of a man, cloaked and ominous as he walked through the cantina with purpose in his gait. His hands pushed back the hood from casting its clever shadow revealing a human, his hair and beard peppering with grey in graceful aging that only wisened his appearance.

"Ben," she greeted as they walked to his booth together. "I would have ordered you one if you came just a bit earlier."

"Perhaps another time, Kir," he said, and sat across from her with a small smirk under the brush of his mustache. Kir huffed a small laugh as she resumed her lounging, raising her glass to her lips for a generous drink.

"A good day for Mos Eisley," Kir observed nodding out to the oddly calm cantina.

"We both know it's only a matter of time," Ben said. "How's business been?"

It was a seemingly innocent question to anyone outside themselves. They established a friendship through such a question over the years that now only made the exchange all the more natural in execution. Kir nodded her head thoughtfully, shrugging a little with one shoulder.

"It could be better," she answered. "Almost lost a shipment."

"Almost?" Ben prompted in amusement.

"Well," Kir began smugly, "you know how pirates can get. They take your stuff, try to kill you, think they can get away with it. They almost did. That's actually where I came across a few things you may find interesting. One, there's some bounty hunter bouncing around the galaxy with a vendetta against Jedi."

The words felt hollow in Ben's ears as he stared at Kir with a still expression of shock. "They're all dead," he reminded. "Sanctioned by the Empire."

Kir lofted a brow, tipping her head to the side just slightly as she peered at Ben keenly. "We both know there are places for the lot of them to hide," she said, and motioned out to the cantina. "Places left neutral and away from galactic politics."

Ben's demeanor turned cold and wary, and while he made no movement he kept his senses alert even around him. Kir picked up on the final shift and swung her legs off the bench to sit more forward, leaning over the table somewhat to lower her tone. They matched each other's severity in the moment.

"It's probably a good thing we don't know any," Kir continued casually. In the pause, Ben slowly nodded his head, his form relaxing with the gathering of trust. "This hunter is clever. Some he'll take alive and some he'll just outright kill. But he's good at what he does. I wouldn't want to cross paths with a guy like that."

Leaning back, Kir reached into her jacket pocket and produced a device, placing it on the table and pushing it across to him. "As for the second thing," she said. "The pirates had this on them. You'll want to take a look at it when you get home. Private stuff."

Hesitantly, Ben reached out for the device, hand hovering over it in contemplation before picking it up.

"It's clean," assured Kir. "I checked it before we left the ship in the dust."

There was a level of trust they had established over the years where Ben never questioned Kir's honesty. She was a smuggler with a complex to desire to do good for those in need. It always brought him back to places like Mos Eisley to divvy out what she could get away with.

Replacing the device on the table, Ben set a credit chip on the surface and slid it over to Kir who took it with a nod. "Thank you," he said, but Kir waved her hand dismissively.

"We kept our lives separate for how many years now?" she said. "I messed all that up trying to see if I found something to pawn. I get the feeling you'll be needing more than just information from me after you look at that. But I wouldn't thank me so soon."

Before Ben could say a word, the tone was halted by Kir's sudden shift in attention. While she had a wandering eye in conversation, she now looked over to the entrance where two figures walked into the cantina, pausing just at the stairs to scan over the patrons in search of someone. Ben didn't dare to turn around, only gauging the situation based on his friend's expression as she forced her gaze away to only look at the pair through her peripheral.

"Looks like we didn't get all the pirates," Kir murmured, and took in a deep breath before releasing it in a sigh, almost in resolution of the growing situation. The two men walked into the dingy cantina calmly, rifles slung at their sides under tattered cloaks. "So much for a peaceful day at the Mos Eisley cantina."

"It was only a matter of time," Ben joked cynically. "Don't get yourself killed."

"There are worse things," Kir quipped just as the pair of pirates approached the table. Their frames were adorned in mismatched armor likely pulled from their various plunders, helmets cleverly masking the entirety of their faces while distorting their voices when they spoke.

"Let's take a walk," the taller one said as he nodded over to the entrance. Kir sat back in hier seat coolly and huffed a haughty laugh for show.

"I'm guessing you're all upset about being bested by a nobody," she said. "So whoever is in charge now, have him meet me here. First round's on me."

The shorter of the two placed the barrel of his rifle to Kir's side in warning, the other following suit to aim at Ben. Ben didn't look at them, focused expression set on the barrel pointed at Kir as he kept the two pirates in his peripheral. He felt the rifle nudge his ribs to prompt them into compliance.

"I suppose we can meet," Ben said as he finally looked up at the pair. He slowly rose from his seat to meet at eye level with the tallest who kept his rifle aimed at his chest. In his peripheral he noted Kir's reluctance, though she eventually followed suit and complied.

"Lead the way," she prompted, motioning for at least one of them to take point. But the two pirates were a little smarter than she anticipated, and Ben shot her a pleading look.

Kir was not a passive individual, and was reluctant to turn herself in to the point of suspicion. In a swift motion, she grabbed at the rifle pointed towards her, pushing it away from her form just in time for the reactive fire to miss her entirely. The shot hit the taller pirate instead taking him off guard.

It was a split second decision, one in which Ben did not look keen on following through, but there was no longer the chance to remain passive. Seeing the opening, he kicked the taller pirate down as Kir brought the rifle of the other ramming into his helmet, twisting the weapon from his grasp and firing a shot through the pirate's neck.

Their violent escapade was nothing new to the patrons of the cantina as they lazily looked over Kir and Ben. Kir rammed the heel of her boot hard into the downed taller pirate, knocking him unconscious with the force. "No time for you to go home and view that message," she said, grabbing her drink and downing it swiftly.

"Kir, I cant get involved in this," Ben said as he held out the device to her. She looked down at it, but did not take it as she took a step towards him.

"You're already involved," she said lowly. "Just come with me to my ship and we'll watch it there"

"Your ship is likely guarded by more of them," Ben said as he motioned to the two on the ground. "They'll be expecting you there."

"Then I bring the fight to them." As she stepped over the unconscious pirate, Ben caught her arm, holding it not only to keep her presence but to garner her attention.

"We'll come back for your ship and your crew," he promised.

"You there!"

A voice called out to them angrily from across the cantina. Three men clad in the same mismatched armor now occupied the entrance and were closing the distance rapidly. Kir handed Ben the rifle she held and stopped down to take the other from the unconscious pirate. "This is never a good sign," she said.

As blaster fire shot past their heads in answer to their decision to arm themselves, Ben nudged Kir in the direction he ran. She fired off a shot that clacked against the chest piece of one of the pirates that absorbed most of the impact, and then rushed after to follow him towards a doorway leading to the back, through the kitchen and past confused employees as the pair raced to shake their pursuers.

"I thought you said this device is clean!" Ben said as they found their way out into the back alley.

"It is," she said as she ran alongside him. The heat even in the shade was already causing them to perspire. "Where are we going?"

"We've got to get them off our tail," he said. Blaster fire shot past them promoting the roads to clear away from the fight giving them a clear line to his speeder. Hopping into the driver's seat, Ben urged Kir to take the passenger seat. As soon as both feet were inside, he took off, racing through the crowds and gaining speed. Kir kept on the lookout for their pursuers while pulling out a comm from her pocket, pressing a button that lit up the device twice in succession. She stared at it, wind whipping her dark hair about her face as she waited for a response. It came soon after in a set of two blinks.

"My crew can handle their end," she said to Ben. " Maybe cause a distraction, too, to get them off our tail."

But it would not come soon enough. Two speeders were catching up to them fast, sand kicking up in their wake. Kir steadied her rifle on the back of the seat as she waited for them to fall in range of her fire. The scene rolled through the streets of Mos Eisley in streaks of sand colored buildings and red colored merchant stall canopies that opened to a dusty wash of blistering orange that cut through the dingy blue sky. Ben skillfully maneuvered down the large road, cutting through smaller paths until streaking through to the dunes that rolled into nothing for miles.

"We're not going to lose them out here!" Kir called to Ben over the whir of the speeder engine at screaming speeds.

"I have a plan!" Ben assured. "Just push them back!"

All their focus now was on losing their pursuers however necessary. Kir pulled back her hair away from her face and resumed her careful aim, measuring the closing distance with a skillful she and squeezing the trigger at just the right moment. Red streaked through the dust, pinging the head of one of the drivers that knocked the pirate back. The speeder spiraled into a sand dune, bodies flying from the impact.

"One down!" she said to Ben. He didn't look back or break his own focus from his course. The sand dunes were a tricky terrain even on a speeder, and the fact that they were still being pursued only meant they were just as comfortable as he driving through it. He had to keep in mind Kir's need for the ride to be as smooth as possible, and to not jerk the vehicle about without proper warning.

"Hard turn," he said as blaster fire pinged off the metal frame. Kir grabbed hold of what she could to brace for the pull as Ben skillfully whipped the speeder in a hard right, turning almost one hundred or so degrees to head for the cliffs. The move took the pirates off guard losing their momentum as they turned to continue the chase. Once back on course, firing resumed, and Kir shot back just as fervently.

The first two shots missed the driver, though one of them managed to hit one of the shooters in the process. As they nearer the cliff face, the terrain became more rough, jostling their aim to the point of finger crossing. Looking behind her at the path ahead, she saw what Ben was aiming for.

"Are you crazy?" she asked. "This isn't a pod race, Ben!"

Amusement escaped him in a huff of a laugh and accelerated his speed to the maximum his speeder could handle. There was perhaps a tinge of excitement that briefly graced his features that urged her properly into her seat. She looked over at Ben hoping he was confident but not stupid and held onto the seat as he made another sharp turn down a craggy and narrow crevasse.

They were certainly not traveling anywhere near the speeds of a pod racer, yet it all still felt too fast and life threatening. Kir liked to be in control of her cage and never once considered putting her life in someone else's hands. Technically, they were strangers even after all these years of business, but that's all it ever was. They never discussed their lives outside of what Ben paid to know, and he had only ever been interested in politics and the growing tension. She never thought to ask if he was good at speed racing.

Jutting rocks and cliff walls zoomed last until they entered the closed spaces of a cave, the speeder engine echoing as Ben maneuvered them through the obstacles without a hitch. Shots continued to zoom past them as the pirates desperately attempted to cut the chase short. Kir took in a calming breath, seeing Ben's skills and trusting his ability to drive them through the cave, and turned back around in her seat.

The barrel was placed back on the seat for stability, and she took aim at the pursuing speeder, firing off two shots. One hit another pirate who fell off the side, and the other the driver attempted to dodge. His overcompensation sent their speeder straight into a stalagmite exploding on impact just as they breached the lip of the cave back out into the sunlight.

Kir joyfully cheered at their victory, sitting back down in her seat with relief. "That's the last of them!" she said to him.

"At least for now," he said. "Let's see what's so important about what's on that device."


	2. Chapter 2

The Mos Eisley spaceport was a dusty, sand covered mess of ports with not much in the way of security or service. All that they cared about was payment to dock, but apart from that the owners were on their own against theft. This left the crew of the Azure Nomad ship bound as their pilot met with their contact in the cantina.

They weren't traveling in anything spectacular. The ship was old and repurposed, and one of its guns didn't even work. They keep meaning to repair it but get caught up in business, rarely docking in places where they can take the time for such a repair. But it suited its purpose and still ran smoothly.

Talden sat across from the astromech droid, both attempting to figure out exactly why the gun was constantly jammed and stuck to one position. He leaned his horned head to the side as he unscrewed a bolt fixed to a side plate. But he paused in thought, eyes cast away as the droid lit up and shook its frame side to side without so much as a standard beep. He looked up to read the language flourished in the lights that seemed to only confirm his suspicions.

It was a quiet interaction, but one the deaf zabrak was used to. The droid expressed a frantic message he understood as an alarm, and he turned his head to look out of the viewing window. Just at the doors to their docking port entered two individuals eyeing the ship thoughtfully. One of them looked to speak into a comm.

Talden tapped the head of the droid and pointed back into the hull before quickly venturing through the halls to the cockpit. On his way, he was sure to tap the door frame to the common room where Vares was taking a nap. The chiss woman opened one eye in time to see the zabrak rush past the door with C1-8E rolling past soon after in a glitter of lights.

Vares groaned as she rolled off her bunk, following after the pair to the cockpit as Talden locked the bay doors. Seeing his comrade, the zabrak filled her in with a series of hand gestures in quick succession.

"Pirates?" she repeated along with the sign. He nodded, and told her she needed to hide.

"Give Kir the heads up," Vares said, accompanied by the sign language. As she left the cockpit, Talden produced the comm device from his pocket and attempted to contact Kir. The device lit up as he pressed the button in code, but he received no response.

Vares suited up in her own set of armor, geared for confrontation should it arise. While she hadn't set eyes on the pirates Talden reported, she could only guess they were connected to the ones they wiped out and stole from while taking back what they stole from them. Their work always came with these sorts of risks which was why she was hired in the first place.

She approached the door and entered an override code in the console next to it. The door hissed open as the ramp lowered, and she walked down calmly, rifle resting in her arms. Like the pirates she set eyes on, she too wore a helmet to mask her features, though her armor was more cohesive. They looked over to her as she approached and brought their own weapons in hand cautiously.

"Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?" she asked as she stopped, placing herself between them and the Azure Nomad.

"Hand over the device and we will be on our way," one of them said in a distorted voice.

"You'll have to buy it off the jawas we just sold it to," she said. The two before her exchanged looks under the shields of their helmets, one of them scoffing as they looked back at Vares. She could see their stances tense in anticipation of their next move, their fingers shifting to hover over their triggers subtly.

But it was enough for the chiss to know what was about to come. She only had seconds to react, calculating her moves to the nearest crate as they raised their rifles swiftly to aim. Dodging the blaster fire, Vares rolled behind the crate and rose just as quickly to return fire. They were prone, making the endeavor easier to clip one of them as they dodged behind the blast door to the docking bay.

Two blasters became three, and then four, the numbers rising with the obvious onslaught as the pirates bolstered their numbers. She had to get back to the ship, but the distance between her and the cargo doors was enough to get her killed on her own. Pulling out her comm, she relayed a message in code hoping for a response in action sooner than later.

They were setting themselves up to flank her now, covering fire preventing her from doing much of anything about it. The engines of the Azure Nomad purred to life, igniting in a hazy blue glow that alerted the pirates to their coming escape. Shouts called over the engines, and the cargo doors opened in its steady ascent. Pulling from her position, Vares fired at the flanking team as she boosted her jetpack, the force launching her through the air and smoothly into the cargo doors to use the ship as cover. One pirate fell from the shots, the blaster fire scorching through a weak point in his armor.

Shots absorbed into the ship's shield as it activated sending waves across its protective surface. Before she could lose the chance, Vares fired off a few rounds into the group, powerful shots ramming into their mismatched plate armor with forceful blows. It knocked a few down, but she wasn't quick enough to take them all out.

The cargo door closed, and Vares rushed to the cockpit where Talden and 8E presided. Tatooine's twin suns blared their bright light as they exited the port as the stark blue sky lined the dusty horizon. Talden looked over to Vares as she sat next to him, a look of concern as he flew the ship without destination. Her eyes looked down to Mos Eisley as if to find Kir in the specks and shapes.

"Have you heard from Kir?" she asked as she signed her words to Talden. He nodded his head, unable to answer further. 8E took the reins with an exuberant flourish of lights and beeps.

"She made it out, then," she said to no one, and then pointed over to the far cliffs for Talden to park the Azure Nomad while they wait for further instructions.


	3. Chapter 3

Light hummed in the interior of Ben's modest home built underneath the barren desert landscape. The door hissed open and closed as he and Kir entered warily, exhausted from the rush of escape and flush from the heat. It was modestly furnished and carried little in the way of sentimental value displaying the simple life he was used to living. There were tools that lined the shelves with projects under repair close by as a possible source of income and a way for him to pass the time. The only object out of place looked to be a smooth river stone set out upon a mantle. It was evident he was very much alone and isolated so far from another more often than not.

From under his loose sleeve he produced the device, connecting it to his console to bring up the files on the holoprojector. Immediately, wanted posters were displayed detailing bounties of traitors, criminals, and Jedi, their faces revealed alongside price and information. Most of the faces he flipped through held no familiarity, but he studied them all the same to try and find connections or a reason for them all to be lumped on the same device. The console clicked as he passed from one wanted posting to the next until he found one that caused a pit to form in his stomach.

His face stared back at him from the holoprojector detailing him as the missing Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. He could feel Kir's gaze on him, her silence a testament to her hesitancy in the situation. This is what she meant by messing up their separation of lives. She now was privy to the location of a wanted individual in an already risky line of business. Not only that, she had been meeting with him regularly for years. While it wasn't her fault she looked over the contents of the device, he still felt partially responsible as now their association could warrant her the same fate.

"Is this the only thing you wanted me to see?" Obi-Wan asked as he motioned over to the flickering blue rendering of his face.

"Keep looking," Kir prompted quietly, and he turned a knob to select the next file. Replacing the image of himself was a devaronian clad in mismatched armor elaborately hand painted over each piece to make them a cohesive whole. The lighting hollowed his eyes and sharpened the angles of his features to match the two jutting horns from his forehead. Tightly held at his side was a young girl no more than eight, well dressed and frightened, yet holding her composure as best a young girl her age could muster.

"Bail Organa," the devaronian began in a cool tone. Obi-Wan felt the pit in his stomach sink further into his core as realization settled in. He was looking at Leia. "We have your daughter. If you do not bring us the information we asked for, I'm afraid we will have to take extreme measures. Again, we've provided you with the files of wanted people you and your ilk are hiding. We don't care about your political moves, but if we don't get what we want we will kill your only daughter and expose you to the Empire for whatever price we can negotiate with them. How important is that movement of yours I wonder? Worth more than your daughter?"

The devaronian pulled Leia's hair to create a tone of vulnerability in the girl, but she grit her teeth and held her ground, her face pushed into a concentrated scowl as the message flickered to its end. For a moment they sat in silence as Obi-Wan mulled over the predicament, fingers gently brushing over his neatly trimmed beard. He was a patient man, methodical and thoughtful in every act as if to calculate the variables all in one sitting. Eventually, he leaned forward and removed the device from his console and held it out to Kir.

"You should return it to those pirates," he said. His words caused Kir to rise from her seat in shock, eyeing the man over in disbelief.

"That girl is in danger," she said. "Keeping that device from getting to her parents is prolonging her life."

"It's delaying the inevitable," he said, "but it won't save her. And it isn't helping you any."

"You can help her," she cut in. "You're Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're a Jedi."

"That's exactly why I can't get involved," he said with a bit more force ladened in his tone. "I can't help them without implicating them. My presence would put their lives in danger and they are very aware of this. My life is here. My work and my duty is here. Bail Organa is a capable man without my intervention. I can't risk throwing Alderaan into disarray. You saw what was on this device. They already suspect he knows me."

Her disappointment was still quite evident, but he met her gaze with resolution. It was a difficult task now to keep his emotions at bay knowing a child he swore to protect now faced real danger. Did these pirates know her true parentage? Did the Empire? Deep within him he desired to help, to rush to her aid and return her to her parents safely. She was out there somewhere among the stars, snatched away and afraid.

He cared about a child he had never properly met, and the vision of their mother as she died crept back to haunt him.

"Tell me what I need to know so that I can do it, then," Kir said with determination. He expected venom in her tone, yet was met more with focus. Perhaps she did not quite understand why Obi-Wan felt unable to act, but she did not question it further or spit moral rhetoric.

"I thought you didn't care much for political affairs," Obi-Wan said. "You'll be placing yourself at the heart of a deep conflict. One on the verge of manifestation."

"That little girl doesn't deserve to be in the middle of it," she said. He was quick to agree.

"She doesn't," he said. "And I'm not trying to convince you to step down as I have. I just want you to be aware of what you're getting into."

"I'm quick on my feet with a good crew to back me up," she assured confidently. "I just need a plan. You can help me plan it at least."

"It's possible the devaronian is someone higher up in the chain of command with the pirate gang you ran into," he surmised. "Do you think they would take you in if you gave up the device?"

"Not likely," she said thoughtfully as she sat back down on the edge of her seat. "The only reason why they're interested in me is because I stole it. Once they get it back I'm either dead or discarded."

Of course it wouldn't be that simple, but Obi-Wan at least had to eliminate the concept before mulling over the next. Other possible avenues were tricky involving investigation or connections he was unsure or positive she did not have. He pushed back the feeling he could help expedite the endeavor. Emotions were what exiled him, after all.

His thoughts drifted to young Luke he was only allowed to watch over from afar with the scowl of his uncle as a reminder. Owen Lars was vocal against Obi-Wan's presence in the boy's life, and to a degree he understood. It seemed no matter how hard he tried he couldn't avoid danger. It sought him out, honing in on him throughout his entire life to the point where he never stepped back to notice until he was forbidden to see the son of his former padawan.

Despite being separated from his life, he still wanted to do right by him. He wanted to do right by both of them. Padme's final moments were gifted by their successful births in a flicker of hope before the fade; a hope she shared that Obi-Wan had dismissed in pity. The man he knew had been lost and now his efforts to protect her children were failing. With the emergence of his bounty, he put even Luke in danger just by proximity and felt a tinge of guilt he had been swallowing for nearly a decade.

Kir kept quiet as she watched the man before her with a keen sense to the war waged within him. While he was still and thoughtful, there was subtlety in the way his eyes glanced about or the way he stroked his bearded chin. It was no secret what happened to the Jedi, and most had assumed by now there weren't any. But she knew he was forced into exile, and giving up a quiet existence would be difficult.

"The girl," Obi-Wan finally began, "is a princess from Alderaan. Leia Organa. She is the only daughter of Breha and Bail Organa of the Royal House. Bail was once a senator for the Republic before the fall, and an activist against the Empire. This band of pirates knows this, by the looks of it, and is using that and Leia as a means to get exactly what they want. By doing so, it will expose him and his efforts. They'll be able to blackmail and exploit him and his family for whatever they want and gain far too much power for their own good."

"Do you think they'll rat Organa out?" Kir asked.

"It's difficult to say," he said, brows pushing together in contemplation. "They're likely positive they won't have to. Their daughter is very important to them, very loved. They will want the power that brings them."

This wasn't the first time Kir had seen a Jedi before. They had always felt so cold to her as if they repressed their emotions to the point where GNK-series power droids had more personality. There was something different about Obi-Wan in his reflection of the message beyond his cool and calm demeanor only displayed in the slightest expressions seeping through his exterior. It was, perhaps, the result of losing his way of life and forced into near isolation. Even before she knew him as a Jedi, when she knew him as Ben, he felt more human than the order he came from.

"You have a deeper connection to this," she concluded thoughtfully. His head nodded somewhat in response, his far away gaze brought back to the present to look upon the woman across from him.

"I will come with you," he said as he rose from his seat. Her eyes followed him both in slight confusion and in disbelief. The change of heart appeared so sudden to her, but he looked so resolute.

"I'll let the crew know," she said, and reached for her comm. "How long do you need to get your things together?"

Gliding over to the corner of the room, Obi-Wan stooped down to a trunk and unlocked it. "Not long here," he said as he reached in to produce a simple metallic box. Tapping the lining with his thumb, the locking mechanism clicked, the lid pulling back to reveal his lightsaber neatly stashed away within.

Taking the lightsaber in hand felt like a piece of him had been put back into place. He felt almost whole again with the connection as he felt the metal against the pads of his hands. The Force gently embraced him, welcoming the reunion that clicked his resolution into place. This was only an extension of himself, but the history contained was what ignited far too many emotions.

Memories flooded back to him as he gently grasped the hilt. This was a blade he constructed himself through communion with the Force, something he had pushed away along with his past. But he remembered the lessons from so long ago, Qui-Gon's convictions that drove him to take up the responsibility to train Anakin, the final fight where he could not bring himself to destroy him when he had the chance… This blade carried so much weight, but it was his use of it that led him to this very point. Bail and Breha Organa adopted Leia out of love and a desire to hide her away for a better life, which may not have been so substantial had Obi-Wan not failed Anakin as he did.

With his lightsaber back at his side, Obi-Wan turned to Kir. "There's something I wish to handle before we depart. Someone I wish to see."

"I'll tell the crew to meet up at the coordinates when we get there," she said, and followed him back out into the sunlight.


	4. Chapter 4

His hands gripped the steering of his speeder as if the hold could make the trip across the desert faster. The barren lands were nothing spectacular, and quite repetitive for those unfamiliar with the terrain to navigate properly. Obi-Wan knew the path to the Lars' home like it pulled him to its base in a second nature trajectory.

But he was not allowed near their home anymore. Too much trouble had transpired around him to merit a warm welcome, especially given the gravity of their situation they had agreed upon. They loved their nephew and only wanted what was best for him, and Obi-Wan agreed. Even now as he sped towards their home he was at war with the decision knowing pirates were hunting down the woman sitting next to him.

Tension surrounded her despite how cool she played it off. Kir sat back in her seat, eyes scanning the endless horizon with the back of her index finger thoughtfully to her lips. In her other hand she held the comm to her side awaiting the buzz of any possible message from her crew despite the culmination of their correspondences. He needed to make his farewells quick, and was grateful she did not complain or question this journey.

The domed entrance wavered in the heat that rose from the golden surface, dancing into clarity to reveal the coming home and the small silhouette of a boy observing their approach. Obi-Wan immediately began to calm himself, reaching out to the Force to find his center and melt away the nerves that threatened his composure.

It had been quite some time since he'd last seen Luke or his guardians for that matter. The boy had grown to carry a striking resemblance to his father when they first met. It gave him pause, but only momentarily before looking over to Kir as he brought the speeder to a halt.

"Stay here," he said. She waved a hand through the air as she reclined clearly showing disinterest in his affairs yet making no commentary about their dire situation. He was aware there was a little girl held captive, and she knew she didn't need to reiterate that.

As Obi-Wan approached the Lars home, Luke waved and ran out to meet him part way. "Uncle Owen said you moved away," he said.

"I did," Obi-Wan lied. "I'm here to see your uncle, actually. Is he home?"

"Yeah, I'll go get him." Luke rushed forward towards the entrance but stooped instead over the ledge to yell down into the pit. "Uncle Owen!" he called down. "Old Ben is here to see you!"

There was a call back to him from below and out of view, but he knew the tone well enough. Owen Lars emerged not soon after into the desert above with a scowl across his face, quietly asking Luke to go back inside before making his way towards Obi-Wan with words ready against his tongue. Luke reluctantly complied, scuffling back towards the entrance yet lingering just within the shadows to watch from a distance. Obi-Wan pretended as if he didn't notice and kept his gaze locked on Owen.

"Your presence is never good news," he grumbled, reluctantly keeping a cordial demeanor. "I assume there's a good reason. We both know it's not good for you to come around."

"I would not risk your family's safety without cause," Obi-Wan assured. "I have to leave Tatooine. I don't know how long, but it means I can't be there if anything happens."

A form of concern struck the weathered face of the man before him, eyes squinting against the sunlight as a brow raised in curiosity. "Should we be concerned?" Owen asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm going to handle it. I don't think they know about my association with Luke, but I would advise caution until I come back."

"And if you don't?" Owen asked as he searched the former Jedi over.

"I will send someone," Obi-Wan assured. "I'll make sure your family is safe. Use the secondary contacts for emergencies."

Owen nodded his head in understanding. "I know you have his best interest in mind," he said.

Beneath the frustration swarming around Owen Lars was a man willing to see beyond his own heated emotions. His eyes looked Obi-Wan over, a reluctant nod of acceptance slightly bobbing his head as his stance shifted back towards his home. He didn't want to linger or talk further about the matter, and Obi-Wan inclined his own in recognition. The statement was both acceptance and a warning. Don't put my boy in danger, was the interpretation.

Turning away, the two men parted, one joining his family in the shade and comforts of his home, and the other to his speeder. Kir sat back up in her seat and looked over at Obi-Wan as he sat himself behind the wheel. She acted like she didn't care, but he could see in her eyes the flickers of compassion.

"My crew had to bail out of the skyport," she said. "The ship isn't far from here."

"No time to waste, then," he said, and sped off through the desert.

Crossing into the Azure Nomad was a jarring contrast to Tatooine in every aspect. The heat of the twin suns did not permeate the frame providing a comfortable and cool interior that welcomed him from the harsh planet's surface. Obi-Wan could not recall exactly when he last stepped foot inside a ship, much less journeyed off world.

The ship housed his speeder well enough, if a little snug, but Kir seemed too focused to bother with details. She was out and headed through the inner workings even before the doors hissed shut. Obi-Wan followed in her wake quietly up a set of stairs and through a wide hall that led to the cockpit. But before he could follow her in, the armored figure of a woman blocked his path.

"Want to explain why this guy is on board?" she asked Kir as she stared at him through the dark tinted visor of her helmet.

"He's going to help us save that little girl," Kir explained from within the cockpit.

"What about our rule against dealing with known criminals?" she reminded. Kir sighed and leaned out of the doorway into the hall.

"Obi-Wan, meet Vares," Kir introduced. "Don't cross her and you should be fine. Vares, meet Obi-Wan. He's-"

"I know what he is," Vares cut in. Her hands clasped the sides of he helmet, a click and a hiss emitting as she removed it from atop her head. Black hair was pulled back and away from her face as best the chiss could muster, red eyes focused on the man just at eye level in silent warning. It was strange to see one of her kind so far removed from the Ascendency.

"I'm here to help," he assured.

His word would not be enough for Vares. He could sense her continuing distrust even in how she chose to take her leave, eyes lingering on his with severity as she slipped past him to another section of the ship. Obi-Wan remained respectful of her hesitancy in trust and said nothing more. He looked over at Kir who shrugged off the exchange, though made no excuse or gave no explanation into her crew mate's disposition.

"Talden is a bit easier to get along with," she said as she beckoned him into the cockpit. Behind the wheel was a young zabrak checking over the status of the ship before they prepared to take off. Kir tapped Talden's shoulder to garner his attention before signing to him.

"This is Obi-Wan Kenobi," she said as she signed. "He's going to help us free that girl from the holo."

The two exchanged looks, Obi-Wan's more stoic than Talden's as the zabrak studied him. There was a recognition the both felt; a connection familiar to them that swelled around them like water. He was Force sensitive, and he could tell what Obi-Wan was without being told.

Glancing over to Kir noted knowing how this meeting would go. Talden signed something to Kir while Obi-Wan felt the urge to take his leave. For once he desired isolation and to be away from another connected to the Force. To feel it again was a sting to his heart and a reminder of all he had lost. It felt like it weakened him to acknowledge it to any extent.

"He said he's glad to have you with us," Kir relayed. Obi-Wan felt he had nothing but cynicism to spout, and so instead he bit back the words and released the emotion to incline his head instead more politely.

"Set a course for Alderaan," he said. "Do you have a secure channel to send messages through?"

"I honestly wouldn't trust it," Kir said, and signed for Talden to take off. The engines purred to life, and the ship hovered momentarily creating a thick cloud of orange sand about them before taking off into the sky.

"Then I'll need a disguise," he said.

"I'll see what we can do," Kir said. "Anything else?"

"A room, perhaps?" Obi-Wan suggested. "Some place I can meditate."

"Sure. Follow me."

They broke from the atmosphere into the smooth expanse of space. Talden was switching into hyperspace as they turned from the cockpit down the hall. Vares watched him as they passed where she lounged in a booth.

"Where's 8E?" Kir asked her as they continued.

"Still trying to see what's wrong with that gun," she replied. It was the end of their conversation as they walked out of view from the chiss.

"Quite the crew you have," Obi-Wan observed.

"I guess misfits tend to stick together," she said. "It's why we try not to get too involved in things. It makes it complicated for us to stay off the radar."

"Why go after the girl?" Obi-Wan asked. "I could do this on my own if need be."

"I don't doubt it," she said, "but it's personal. "Twenty years ago that was me. Held for ransom as leverage, only my parents didn't come for me."

"Did you ever find out why?" he asked.

"No," she admitted with a cold tone. Her voice carried the last hints of bitterness she clung to yet would not admit. "I had to save myself. I'm still amazed I made it out alive, but I did, and I'm glad I did. But it's not something I would wish on anyone else. If I can save that girl from that experience and that life, then I'll do what I can."

They stopped before a door that hissed open and halted their conversation. It was a modest room, likely meant for captain's quarters yet appeared to be used as storage. Containers were stacked up against one wall and the bedding was still neatly in place.

"We all just use the bunks down the hall," she explained, "but we still use this if we need some time away. The only rule is if you use the bed you have to make it back up."

"Understood," he said. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you, Ben," she said. "Or I guess I should call you Obi-Wan now."

"Ben is just fine," he said. "Leia is important to me for reasons best left untold. I was a fool to have hesitated."

"I get why you did," she said, and shrugged it off. "But whatever the reason is that made you change your mind I'm glad for it."

She left him at that, allowing him to find his peace without her curiosity cutting into what he sought, and he was grateful for it. There were many who understandably had questions that desired immediate answer, but it seemed as though the crew of the Azure Nomad were ones content with letting the truth come out when and if necessary. Their unspoken backgrounds crafted individuals who respected privacy, and to that he would return it in kind. They could work together without having to know every little detail about each other.

The door hissed behind him as he wandered over to the bed, hand pressing against the linens like coarse stone against still water. The threads felt like they would weather him away, the rough calluses upon his palms no match against its touch. He eased himself down onto the edge feeling his age protest in his joints from all the action only hours earlier. His time on Tatooine in exile had not been kind, or perhaps it was inevitable to feel so fatigued and ill equipped.

Finding the quiet, Obi-Wan meditated and reached out to the Force, enveloping himself in it for the first time in years.


End file.
